Kate Bush tribute headed to UK

British art-pop artist Kate Bush is famously reclusive, having only performed a handful of live shows throughout her career. In 2014 she played an entire month’s worth of shows in London, but it’s unlikely she’ll ever make her way to San Diego. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t hear her music live. In 2017, a group of local musicians formed Baby Bushka and performed the first of what would become a recurring Kate Bush Dance Party night at The Casbah. Natasha Kozaily, who started the tribute project, says the idea started when she began to receive feedback about her own music.

“For years with my own music, people would tell me, ‘You remind me of Kate Bush,’” she says. “Last year I became really obsessed with her music, and I thought it would be cool to do one of her songs, or even a whole night of covers. I just thought ‘I know all these amazing women who are great musicians,’ and so I emailed all of them. And then we did the night, but I don’t think any of us knew what was in store.”

Kozaily, Lexi Pulido, Nancy Ross, Nina Deering, Batya MacAdam-Somer, Leah Bowden, Dani Bell and Shelbi Bennett are now setting their sights for something more ambitious: a UK tour. Since the cost of getting there is a bit steep (Kozaily estimates it at around $17,000 for the eight of them), they’ve set up a GoFundMe account at gofundme.com/babybushka, and are putting all the money they make performing back into the fund, including what they earn from their next show at The Casbah on Sept. 9. But Kozaily says the group is getting there one way or another.

“All of the shows are booked. Now it’s just a matter of fundraising,” Kozaily says. “No one’s making any money on this band yet.”

However, there’s definitely demand for what Baby Bushka’s doing, especially considering seeing the actual Kate Bush live is so rare. Interestingly enough, the band has gotten support from a musician close to Bush herself.

“Del Palmer, Kate’s bass player and longtime partner, wrote to us a couple months ago,” Kozaily says. “He said he thought what we were doing was really interesting, and he donated $200 to our GoFundMe campaign. And he also said, ‘I’ll be at your London show!’

“I’ve had difficulties booking solo tours,” she adds. “But you book a Kate Bush tribute and people flip out.”